Lumber Calculator

Calculate Board Feet (BF) or Cubic Meters (m³) and estimated cost for lumber projects.

Board Dimensions

Unit System

Thickness (in)

Width (in)

Length (ft)

Quantity

Price per Board Foot

Project Totals

Buying lumber?

Enter the dimensions (nominal or actual) of your lumber to calculate Total Board Feet and cost.

Overview

The Board Foot (FBM) is the standard unit of volume for measuring hard wood and lumber in the US and Canada. One board foot equals the volume of a 1-foot length of a board that is 1 foot wide and 1 inch thick (144 cubic inches).

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Pro Tips

Use nominal dimensions (e.g., 2, 4, 6) for rough lumber calculations.
Always add 10-15% waste factor for cuts and defects.
For metric projects, dimensions are almost always given in mm for cross-section and m for length.

Fun Facts

"Lumber is often sold by the Board Foot, not linear foot, especially for hardwoods."
"A '2x4' is nominally 2 inches by 4 inches, but actually 1.5 x 3.5 inches. Board feet calculations usually use the nominal size."
"Softwood lumber (pine, fir) is typically sold by standard dimensions (linear feet), while hardwood (oak, maple) is sold by board feet."

Formula: BF = (Thickness × Width × Length) / 12

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